soleil rare 19 - another version.

Baby Huey - California Dreamin'. 

Baby Huey did one of the best albums of all time. Timeless. Funky, soulful, mellow... artfull. 

"California Dreamin'" is originally a song by The Mamas & The Papas, released in 1965. Here, instead of singing, Baby Huey and his band just adapted the musical part, with an unbelievable and unusual soul flute, funky horns and keys. So good. Sadly, "The Living Legend" is a posthumous and only Huey's release, because of Baby Huey's excesses of alcohol, drugs and food. 

MFSB - Freddie's Dead. 

Curtis Mayfield produced Baby Huey's only effort, and wrote the hit "Freddie's Dead", here played by Philadelphia's own band, MFSB. Once again, don't expect vocals, as MFSB is generally an instrumental-only band. This allows them to look deep into experimentations. MFSB makes it an extensive song with a few horn solos, without corrupting Curtis Mayfield's spirit. Funky enough. 

 Otis Redding - Satisfaction (Show 3, Set 1). 

Otis Redding's early death is probably the most tragic event in the history of soul music. Feeling his energy on stage through 40 year-old records is simply of prodigy. A true performer and entertainer, Otis' talent is mostly known thanks to the super hit "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay", which is a pity. Because, even if the song is a beautiful one, it doesn't display the sweat and moves that Otis was able to provide. 

With this cover of the Stones' "Satisfaction", you can feel what the man was about. Dope. 

The Watts 103Rd Street Rhythm Band - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag. 

In 1968, The Watts 103Rd Street Rhythm Band (damn, what a band name...) finally got their final line-up, just one year before splitting... however, even with a tumultuous story, the band managed to craft a few hits, including "Express Yourself". 

With the album "Together", they gained even more fame. Their cover of James Brown's "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" sounds almost like the original ; no innovation here, but a different voice and feeling. 

Paul Mauriat - La Vie En Rose. 

I gotta confess : for some reason, I collect Paul Mauriat's records. And it looks like a bottomless pit, and endless quest. 

Yeah, it is cheesy. But it definitely has a French feeling. A French gift to the world !

And yeah, here again, the song is simply an instrumental. Piaf's "La Vie En Rose" doesn't have the same vibe under Mauriat's direction, but still, I kinda like it. And I don't know why. Get charmed. 

Carte Blanche - Lettre A France. 

DJ Mehdi would have been 35 today. And his death is still a tragedy for music. I simply don't know how or who will feel the void that he left. 

On one of his last efforts as Carte Blanche (alongside Riton), Mehdi released this interpretation of Michel Polnareff's mega hit "Lettre A France". Saturated. Yet elegant. You can even picture Mehdi playing with the faders and the knobs of his mixer while listening to the track. 

Too short. 

Alain Bashung - Nights In White Satin. 

I already wrote quite a few lines about Alain Bashung on this blog. And I might keep on doing it. Until very recently, I didn't know he had made covers of English songs. Moody Blues' "Nights In White Satin" being an anthem of the late 1960's, it's a pleasure to listen such a giant covering it. With a gentle help from an acoustic guitar, Bashung offers all his sensitivity in just one song. 

Aretha Franklin - You're All I Need To Get By (Take 2). 

Oh, come on... the queen Aretha singing some Marvin Gaye. Aretha doing both Marvin and Tammi... good Lord. Wow, you gotta be thankful forever when you hear such a song. The covering is just perfect, and it sounds just like Aretha's voice was made for singing this song. Plain and simple. So she hired a bass player, a drummer, took the piano and did it. Boy, I could spend days listening to Aretha Franklin. 

The final cut is a bit strange as it sounds like a simple rehearsal for her, but don't complain. 

J*Davey - Smells Like Teen Spirit. 

Yes, this is an internet find, so I don't know if it's featured on a proper record. Whatever... The first time I heard about J*Davey, I think it was thanks to Okayplayer. I found the duo very talented, out of limit, unstoppable. Then I kinda lost their track, to find it again with their impressive cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (one of the best songs of all time according to Rolling Stone magazine). 

I haven't felt such a level of production in a long time, and the voice is sexy but distant. It's like and erotic theme, only with a rock'n'soul (I don't think the genre has ever been labelled) flavor. Let's just say... wow.